English around the world: like a bride’s nightie

In diesem Beitrag aus unserer Rubrik „English around the world“ geht es nach Australien: Lesen Sie hier, was es mit den Redewendungen rund um das Nachthemd einer Braut auf sich hat.

By Carol Richards

“like a bride’s nightie”

Australia

The Australian phrase “like a bride’s nightie” can be used in two ways. “Off like a bride’s nightie” refers to the speed and quickness with which a bride’s nightdress is removed on her wedding night. Rumor has it, this is very fast indeed. At the end of the working day, some of your colleagues are probably off like a bride’s nightie.

The second usage, “up and down like a bride’s nightie”, refers to something that changes quickly. It could be used to describe someone’s behavior: “She just couldn’t sit still in her chair and was up and down like a bride’s nightie during the meeting!” It could also be used to describe a person whose opinion frequently changes: “His feelings about Brexit go up and down like a bride’s nightie.”